Callum was done with Charms, already mentally checked out, and quite frustrated with the professor. He did not care what educational value the man thought he was bringing to the class with his "lesson plan," but Callum was not having any of it. As he walked, he considered a few plans of actions. He could go straight to Flamsteed and question if the Charms professor was to be trusted and given another shot in the future, or he could just head off to practice his spellwork with his textbook somewhere on his own. That seemed like a much more beneficial use of his time, far better than going through the class a million steps behind everyone, and the thought of getting some time to work on his own was welcoming, really.

So that was what he was going to do.

This was the most Gryffindorish thing (not counting his adventures with his BFF) that David had ever done. LEAVING a CLASS. It was so bold, he would never--- well, never ordinarily attempt it, because ordinarily, a professor was present and watching them all. It was SO SO BOLD to walk out on a class, but Callum had done it. And Callum was only a firstie. And he was probably really GOOD at Charms, without even KNOWING IT. So he had to get his butt back to class, basically, was how the Truebridge was reasoning it.

"BUT CALLUM, C'MON!!"

David had been mentally saying that to himself, when he realized he'd said it aloud too, and had found his younger friend in the process. Probably. Davie squinted at the kid up ahead and then picked up his pace into a jog so he caught up to him. Whew. Running. It was not his thing.

"C'mon, c'mon back to class. Charms. Will be. Your." Pause for breath. "Faaaavorite."

Callum was not expecting anyone to go after him, not any of his cousins or Char or any of their friends, and yet there his name was being called. Luckily, it was not a reprimand from a professor, but instead he immediately acknowledged that it was Davie. Confusing as it was, Callum slowed his walk to let Davie catch up to him, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, until he eventually stopped walking and eyed the Ravenclaw curiously. Why was he leaving class for him?

The older boy being so out of breath made the Gryffindor smile a little - not at him, but just at the situation itself - and the Kettleburn gave a shrug of his shoulders. "I... am not so sure, David." Sure, the subject itself was fascinating and he hoped he would excel at it, but he still was not keen on returning to that kind of atmosphere - the kind where he was destined to feel stupid and incapable in addition to hindering someone else's progress in class. That was not something he wanted at all.

"You should go back," he advised gently, his gaze flickering briefly back down the corridor toward the charms classroom door. "I plan to go learn and practice the basic charms on my own if the professor is not going to teach me himself." Did Davie understand where he was coming from?

Mmmmmmm, no, Callum was new here. He just didn't know how it worked yet. David was SURE of this, because Hogwarts was the best. Learning was fun. Callum would LIKE classes, with all KINDS of professors. So David properly caught his breath, shook his head to say he wasn't going anywhere, and refused to accept that answer.

"But he is teaching you himself. Didn't you read the directions, and hear his voice? This is just a challenge. A pre-test. A way to see how we all work under pressure...." Callum shouldn't be so easily turned away by a basic educational premise. This was a common way to start classes. The Kettleburn's dad was a professor. He'd know. "Do you really think Hogwarts would hire someone so lazy that he wouldn't personally teach us at all? And you don't want to look bad by not even trying at all in your first-ever class."

Just saying. Trust him.

Callum was not exactly buying what Davie was selling, but he was listening. He disagreed that the professor was teaching him, because if he was, he would have taught the new students the spellwork efficiently instead of forcing them to learn only from the older kids. This was not a style of teaching that resonated with this highly independent Kettleburn, and as Davie went on, the eleven-year-old actually sighed.

"Not particularly bothered with what others think about me," he started, already a bit exhausted with the conversation. "But I care about holding others back, and I do not believe anyone should have to hold my hand and show me all the wand movements and work alongside me to make sure I get through the class." The older kids were supposed to be learning, too, were they not? Callum did not care to detract from anyone's learning environment.

When it came down to it, he did not want to be a bother, but he tried his best not to show his worry at his potential incompetence. The Kettleburn name was a big one to live up to, and there was fear he was concealing behind his nonchalant words.

But would Davie pick up on that?

Ariadne was off an adventure! Where she was headed, she didn't know, but this castle was huge, and she wanted to see her new home! She'd made her way from the dungeons all the way to the third floor. All she'd done was roam the corridors and see where everything was. She wasn't remembering any of it, but that was cool!

She noted that the Hospital Wing was on this floor, and that was one of the places she planned to stop at soon! Not for an injury, though. Charms was here, too! That looked about all for the third floor. Ariadne paused for a quick break before she continued on her little journey. Merlin was she glad her common room was all the way on the lowest floor of the castle. How the Ravenclaws and Gryffindors made it back and forth every day was beyond her.

Yeah, that last persuasive argument hadn't been his strongest one. Davie knew that even as he'd said it, but it had been worth a shot. Still, he could be just stubborn as this kid could. He crossed his arms impatiently, his wand still out from where he'd started the lesson.

"I don't believe anyone should have to do that either, and in fact, I doubt they would have to. Definitely not for you." He shrugged. "Did you even try the spells, Callum? Maybe those aren't even the spells we're learning in that lesson. How do you know you can't do something until you try?"

To him, it had looked like Char's brother had read the board, gotten mad at the board, and then stormed out because he was mad at what was on the board. Like he was putting up a mental block because the class wasn't being taught the way HE wanted to learn. Kinda "baby stuff," David murmured again, blinking because MERLIN'S PANTS he was start to develop verbal diarrhea. Probably because he hung out with girls who talked a lot.

Oops. Had Callum heard that? Nah. David's wide-eyed expression behind his glasses wasn't suspicious either, not at all revealing his real thoughts. He'd better say something... better, though? "What I mean is, you're a smart kid. You're my best friend's brother. I was SO EXCITED for you to come to Hogwarts and have classes with us. And now you're leaving those classes? Nuh uh." Time for them to go back. Time for them to LEARN.

Soon enough, Callum had decided that no, Davie was not going to see his way, nor was he going to budge and see things Davie's way. He did not want to be on rough terms with his sister's best friend, though, and they had always gotten along well in the past, so it would have been an awful shame for real tension to arise between them not even a full week into the term.

It helped alleviate Callum's stubbornness that Davie seemed to be trying to boost his morale with his 'definitely not for you' statement, which sounded a lot like encouragement. It was strange, a bit unexpected, but the Gryffindor gave his own hair a ruffle to accompany a sigh as he agreed finally, "Okay." Okay. Just... okay. He would go back to class. Mostly because Davie had practically just volunteered himself to let Callum follow him around and learn from him, but also because he was starting to feel badly that Davie was getting so worked up over him.

Guilt. More guilt. Different guilt from the guilt that would have come from him staying in class in the first place and having to ask someone for help as he went along in the first place, but still guilt - guilt that Davie was wasting time on him at all and was feeling so passionately about it.

Wordlessly, he started walking back toward the classroom, trying to look more confident to be the dog coming crawling back with its tail between its legs than he felt about it, but then he had enough sense to offer Davie a smile, a nod, and a, "Thanks, David."

He still was not entirely convinced that this was the best course of action, but at least if he was with Davie, nothing could really go wrong.

And if that argument didn't work, David was going to have to write a strongly worded letter to M----

Oh, hey, it actually worked. Although Callum looked like he was just agreeing with David to get him to shut up, an expression his dad sometimes wore around his mum, David was glad either way. EITHER WAY, they got to go back to class now and learn lots of new things and have several mini-adventures. Together. In class. Because although Davie had no siblings, Callum could probably be the closest thing he had to a little brother. And he was fine with the Gryffindor little brother sticking by him. For now.

"Right, let's go! It'll be fun. WE will make it fun." Yes yes. Was he saying that to reassure Callum or himself? Who knew. Either way, David patted the Lion gently on the shoulder and followed him along the corridor back to Charms, still in a mostly good mood. "Did I ever tell you about that time I got handcuffed to a kid?" Heh. Funny story. Maybe now wasn't the best time to tell it, but maybe Callum could also use a distraction. Eh? Maybe?

Smiling a bit, Callum nodded in agreement to Davie's words. Yes, it would probably be fun. They would make it fun, even if it was not supposed to be a fun activity, because if they were going to do this, they were going to do it right. Which, of course, meant they were going to go enjoy themselves, even if Callum was still peeved with the class activity itself. He was determined to make his time enjoyable as well as meaningful, just as it would have been if he had gone off on his own, but he had expectations that this would be better since he got to do it with Davie rather than by himself.

He did not mind the shoulder-patting, but the bit about the handcuffing made Callum give the Ravenclaw a questioning look, and then he laughed. "No. No, you did not," he continued to laugh, opening the classroom door and holding it open for Davie when they got there. It was certainly a story he wanted to hear, though.

Now that the day's lesson planning was done, Julien decided to head down to the kitchen for a bite to eat. He had skipped breakfast because his focus was in a new charms book that was delivered. At fifty years old he still couldn't believe how easy it was to distract him with books.

As he left his office, always locking it, he turned to head down the corridor. As he walked he noticed a young Slytherin walking around. He knew it wasn't against rules to be on the third floor, but with it only having charms and the hospital he figured she had to be going to the hospital wing. She didn't look sick though....

"Are you looking for the hospital?"

Well. This was about all there was to the third floor, she guessed. There were some students at the far end of the corridor, but she was too far away from them to decide if she knew them or not. To the fourth floor it was then! She whirled around in an about-face manner, intent on heading straight for the stairs and to the next floor up. She didn't count on somebody being right behind her. Some SUPER tall and scary person behind her, at that.

She gasped, having been taken by surprise. "Sorry, Professor," she said. "I didn't realize somebody was standing there." Obviously. The hospital? "I've already found it! All the Charms places, too! So I think I'm done with the third floor," she told him. "I'm on a tour around the school!" All by herself, heh. Speaking of the hospital, she really should stop by, seeing as she hadn't even seen Healer Tillstorm outside of the feast. Not now, though.

A tour of the castle, well that wasn't a bad idea for any first year. "Just be careful with the staircases changed and some of the secret passages this place can be easy to get lost. You don't want to find a wrong turn and end up somewhere you don't want to be." He wasn't even sure where all the passages were anymore or if they were still open, but he knew some lead into some very weird areas.

"Well I'm glad you know where the charms classrooms are. I've made a practice room for any students to use if you would like. It's also a charmed classroom, so you never know what you will find." He was quite proud of that. "What floors have you been to so far?" As a child he remembered his favorites, of course this floor was one of them.

Ariadne's eyes widened as she remembered hearing all abut those stairs. "Ohh, yeah! My mom told me about those! It was one of the reasons she was so glad she only ever really had to go to the dungeons most of the time," she said. "I haven't come across them yet, but they sound kind of fun! I'll remember what you said, though." Ariadne was picturing something similar to a roller coaster ride...just a staircase ride through the school. She hadn't thought about the dangers of them.

She nodded when he mentioned the practice room. "I don't know that many charms yet, but that's probably all the more reason to use the room, isn't it?" she replied. "A charmed classroom sounds fun, though! So you see something different most of the time you're there?" She could spend a whole afternoon walking in and out of that kind of room! What floors had she been to? "Let's see...the dungeons, of course. I made it into SLYTHERIN! Then the ground floor all the way up to this one. What floors have YOU been to?" Wasn't he new, too?

"Did your mother go to Hogwarts as a child as well?" Maybe they had went to school together depending on the age, but he figured many were probably younger than him. He did have a very big age gap with his own children. He just shook his head at the fun part. It wasn't like he was surprised she said that. Children always seemed to like adventure. "Just be careful." That's all he could really ask, wasn't it?

"It is charmed to rearrange itself every time it is empty. So once you leave it will change and be different for the next person to come in." He enjoyed that little trick, it was one of his favorites. He listened as she said where she had been, "Well looks like you have a few more floors to go. There are many fun places to go, the seventh floor has the room of requirement." She was asking what floors he had been too, hmm. "Well I've been to all of them throughout the years. I was a student here once, but recently I've only been to this floor and down. I haven't been up any yet." He'd get up there eventually he was sure.

Ariadne nodded. "My whole family did! My mom was a professor and a Head of House here, though," she explained. "I came to the school with her sometimes when I was really little, but I don't remember much about it." She nodded at his warning to be careful. "I heard that at least ONE really big and dangerous thing usually happens here once a year. Sometimes it's an attack and other times it's a mysterious illness!" She paused and looked at him with wondering eyes. "Have you heard that, too?"

Ariadne grinned and looked really excited at the description of the room he was describing. "That's cool! I'm going to visit it and just walk in and out of it many different times to see how it looks!" she exclaimed. She doubted that was the purpose of it, but it seemed too much fun not to try! Ohh, he'd once upon a time been to all the floors! He had gone to school here! Ariadne hadn't thought about that when she asked him her question. "You went to school here? COOL! What house were you in?" she asked. He looked like a Gryffindor to her!

Mother was a professor and a head of house. Julien nodded as he thought about the different professors. He assumed she still wasn't a professor, but maybe he had heard of her at least. "Who is your mother?" He probably should know this, but being new and having so many students it was hard to keep track. One big thing happened, "I had seen that in the paper. My daughter had attended here for two years and didn't have too much trouble. Last term she said was pretty laid back." He remembered the acromentulas though he wouldn't mention it. "I think Hogwarts likes to test our minds sometimes to make sure we are the best of the best." They were the top wizarding school so of course the castle had to make sure they lived up to that.

He couldn't help but admire the innocence of a child. "Well it will change every time you come back, but it is for practice, so make sure you practice at least one charm every time you enter." He didn't mind having fun as long as some learning was involved. If he didn't like fun he wouldn't have made the room as interesting as he did. Her questions were amusing to Julien and he couldn't help but indulgent her with answers. "Yes a very long time ago I was here. I am a Ravenclaw." There was no hiding his pride in his house of blue.

"Her name is Hecate Lafay Greingoth, but she went by Hecate Lafay when she taught here," Ariadne answered. She perked up when the professor mentioned his daughter used to go to Hogwarts, too. "That's AWESOME!" she exclaimed. "It's too bad she doesn't go here anymore. I bet she was amazing at Charms with having a Charms expert as a dad!" Just like Ariadne THOUGHT she might be good at Potions, but she couldn't be sure right now. There was always the possibility of a melted cauldron. That would be PURE EMBARRASSMENT to write home about.

"The school likes to test our minds," she repeated. "That's kind of deep! Like the school has a brain of its own..." She glanced to the left and right of her as she said this, almost as if she was suddenly hyper-aware of what could happen to her. She nodded when the professor instructed her to actually practice charms in his super exciting charms room. "It's a deal!" she said. He had said he was a Ravenclaw, but just then a thought came to Ariadne, and she couldn't focus on Hogwarts houses right now. "PROFESSOR!" she called out. She was just too excited for lowercase letters. "I have an idea! Why don't you take me for a ride on the MOVING STAIRCASES!"

He had at least read the name before, but he wasn't sure if he knew the woman. Though the last name caught his attention, "Your father wasn't a minister at one time was he?" Maybe it was an uncle or grandfather even, but he wouldn't miss that name. Julien kept up on politics it was another one of his passions. He chuckled about Keely, "No I think it's better this way. She would not have wanted her dad hanging around while she was in her last few years of school." Was she good at Charms, Julien had to think about it, "Yes I would say she is good at many things. She is the one that fully decorated my office." He was always proud of his children.

He glanced around with her not really looking for anything. Yes, he always felt the castle was alive in some ways, "You could say that." It was an interesting way to think about the things that had happened here as well. Instead of just tragic or awful, but more of a challenge.

He jumped a bit at her loudness and then looked towards the steps. "Oh I'm not sure that riding the staircase is really my thing anymore, but you go on ahead. Just don't be late for any classes and please be careful." He wasn't going to have any first years dying on his watch.

Ariadne beamed at the mention of her dad. "He was!" she exclaimed. She thought it was really cool that the professor knew her father! "He retired when I was really, really little, though. I think he was an awesome Minister!" She had only been a toddler when her father had run the Ministry of Magic, but he had been then and still was one of her top two heroes! Her mom was the other one.

"I'm just the opposite of your daughter, then. I kind of wish my mom was still here," she admitted. She really missed her mom and dad right now. Maybe those feelings would taper away as she grew older, but right now, she was still feeling the effects of being away from home for the first time. She grew wide-eyed at the next comment. "That's SO COOL that she got to decorate your office! I'm going to stop by one day and see it!" Maybe he would let Ariadne turn a couch orange or something!

She frowned when he gave her a definite no to riding around on the moving staircase. "Okay, then. I guess I'm off then. I've toured the castle enough for today anyway. Have an awesome day!" she said.

This one's excitement was very contagious and Julien did enjoy seeing children happy and excited. The innocence of the young was inspiring. "I remember when he was the minister." He was in Canada for some of it, but he still kept up with the politics here. Yes he'd imagine she was little, "He was a good minister. You can be assured that." Even if he wasn't Julien would never say a bad thing to his daughter about him, but he wasn't lying.

"Once you get older that will change. You'll want to be with friends more than having parents around." He knew that well having two older children and soon Juni would feel that way as well. "Stop by anytime and have fun with the stairs, but again be careful."

"You have a good day too." With that he started heading down the corridor the way he was going before he had stopped to talk.

Everything was sort of spinning as Azura walked slowly down the halls, but she was determined to do things by herself. She was already embarrassed enough that she had to go to the Hospital wing, with the head girl no less! She was okay! She had had a broken nose before.. and her wrist wasn't that bad!!

"Thank you for coming with me." The purple eyed girl offered up as she looked up at the head girl. Embarrassed or not.. she still had her manners! "I'm pretty sure I'll be all right though, I can make it into the wing by myself." She said with a nod.. One of these days she was going to make it out of a class without an injury!!

Well good, at least the first year was appreciative and really though it wasn't like Tia was going to let one of her Eaglets just LEAVE the lesson without a visit to the Hospital Wing. Kitridge had practically scolded her at the opening feast for hiding and not seeking out the professors to try to stop the food fight. And though this wasn't a food fight, it was injury to one of her eaglets and well, Leo would want her to help. No question about it.

"I'm not leaving you until you check in," Tia stated with a firm nod. She knew what could happen then; the girl would think she's fine and instead of checking in wander off to another activity and then if she passed out, well, it would be on Tia's conscious. "I'm sure the Healer will fix you up in no time though." Mending simply injuries was better than if something more serious developed because of the girl's stubbornness.

Fwoopers..

It was as if the Head Girl could see straight through her story, which she supposed was WHY she was the Head girl in the first place. Azura looked up at Tia with something akin to admiration in her eyes.. Being Head Girl seemed amazing.

"Yes Tia." She said with a small nod as the walked still rather slowly down the hall, Azura's face was hurting a bit more now that she was thinking about it and all the adrenaline from class was wearing off.

"I'm sure she'll be able to.. a simple spell to fix my nose and then a split of my wrist..should be it. My mom's a healer.. so, I know how these things go." She explained with a nod. Besides, how many broken noses had she had this year? Four? Five?

Eeek.. this was five.. Oh merlin..